Belize | The Guardianhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/belize
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Travel news: Swimming with the fishes at Francis Ford Coppola's resort, and an adults-only silent beach - yes, really …http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/apr/22/travel-and-holiday-news
Plus Anouska Hempel's fabulously decadent (and mega-expensive) gulet, Snow watch, a bicycle township tour in South Africa and a dance marathon in east London<p>From March until June, and especially at full moon, whale sharks can be seen off the coast of Belize. At Turtle Inn, in the village of Placencia and owned by film director Francis Ford Coppola, a week with three dives, meals and transfers costs $2,796pp, <a href="http://www.coppolaresorts.com/turtleinn/" title="">coppolaresorts.com/turtleinn</a>. More affordably, a local operator such as Seahorse Dive Shop (<a href="http://belizescuba.com/" title="">belizescuba.com</a>) charges $185 for two dives and lunch.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/apr/22/travel-and-holiday-news">Continue reading...</a>TravelSkiingBelizeMon, 22 Apr 2013 06:33:01 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/apr/22/travel-and-holiday-newsAlamyDiving with a whale shark. Photograph: AlamyAlamyDiving with a whale shark. Photograph: AlamyGuardian Staff2013-04-22T06:33:01ZReaders' travel tips: places to stay in Central Americahttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2012/may/21/central-america-places-to-stay
Central America has a huge choice of accommodation, from budget hostels on the beach to luxury lodges in the rainforest. Here, <a href="http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk" title="">Been there</a> readers suggest their favourites<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/olympus.jsp" title="">Add a tip for next week and you could win a digital camera</a><p>Before 1961's Hurricane Hattie, Tobacco Caye had a school, church and, as the name suggests, tobacco plantations. It is now the size of a football pitch. There are a couple of all-inclusive places to stay and a bar or two. I stayed in a cabana at Paradise Lodge built over the reef. It was basic but Miss Celia and Miss Junie cooked delicious meals. Snorkel, relax in a hammock, sleep off your food or take boat trips.<br /> <em>+501 532 2101, cabanas about $40pp including meals</em><br /> <strong>Sandyshore</strong></p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2012/may/21/central-america-places-to-stay">Continue reading...</a>North and Central AmericaHotelsHostelsTravelBelizeCosta RicaGuatemalaEl SalvadorMon, 21 May 2012 09:11:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2012/may/21/central-america-places-to-stayprAlamyMonteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. Photograph: AlamyPaul Dykstra / Alamy/AlamyTobacco Caye, Belize. Photograph: Paul Dykstra / Alamy/AlamyPaul Dykstra / Alamy/AlamyTobacco Caye, Belize. Photograph: Paul Dykstra / Alamy/AlamyGuardian Staff2012-05-21T09:11:00ZSurf and turf: Central America holiday ideashttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2012/may/18/central-america-holiday-ideas
Central America has something for everyone, from surfing down a volcano to surfing in the Pacific, and from rainforest lodges to pensiones in colonial cities<p>Central America is gaining in popularity for adventure travel. Earlier this year, Latina Marketing, which promotes the region in Europe, announced a 7% increase in British travellers there in 2011 compared with 2010 – there were around 85,000 between January and October. There had been a 6% increase in foreign visitors, to more than 9.5 million.</p><p>Here are some of the region's highlights, to explain why it's on the hot list.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2012/may/18/central-america-holiday-ideas">Continue reading...</a>NicaraguaBelizeGuatemalaHondurasCosta RicaEl SalvadorNorth and Central AmericaTravelFri, 18 May 2012 21:45:06 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2012/may/18/central-america-holiday-ideasOcean/CorbisLake Atitlán in Guatemala. Photograph: Ocean/CorbisAlamyThe Nicoya peninsula in Costa Rica. Photograph: AlamyAlamyThe Nicoya peninsula in Costa Rica. Photograph: AlamyRachel Dixon2012-05-18T21:45:06ZRobinson who?: a desert island survival coursehttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/may/07/desert-island-survival-course
'Marooned' on a desert island off the Belize coast, the castaways learn how to survive using spearguns, machetes and plastic bags<p>The signal comes from the front. The helicopter is going down: we have to jump. I step out on to the skid, then take another step into air. Seconds later, I'm in the Caribbean sea, swimming for a small patch of sand between thick mangrove trees on a nearby island. Water fills my boots and makes my clothes heavy which, along with the current, means progress is slow. I wade on to the beach, closely followed by my fellow &quot;survivors&quot;.</p><p>This is what we've trained for. For the past five days, we've sailed the blue waters around remote Turneffe Atoll, 40km off the coast of Belize, setting up rudimentary camps on deserted beaches to learn the essentials of island survival. The staged emergency exit from the helicopter marks the start of our Isolation Phase, in which our group will have to put what we've learned into practice, unsupervised. With air-con and cooling cocktails, these islands might be paradise. But without such comforts as beds, food, water or relief from the intense heat, these are inhospitable environments where survival depends on our ability to find or produce food, water, shelter and fire from our unpromising surroundings.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/may/07/desert-island-survival-course">Continue reading...</a>Adventure travelCampingCaribbeanBelizeTravelFri, 06 May 2011 23:06:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/may/07/desert-island-survival-courseGraeme GreenLearning to fish off the coast of Belize. Photographs: Graeme GreenGraeme GreenLearning to fish off the coast of Belize. Photograph: Graeme GreenGraeme Green2011-05-06T23:06:00ZThe Cayes to happiness: Belize by boathttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/feb/26/belize-ambergris-caye-holiday-islands
The former British colony of Belize is largely untouched by tourism, as our writer finds during a catamaran trip exploring the Caribbean coast of mangrove islands and remote reefs<p>At the check-in desk in Cancun airport, Mexico, we stare defeat in the face.</p><p>&quot;I am sorry,&quot; says the man from American Airlines. &quot;But without an Esta form for the United States we can't let you on the flight.&quot;</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/feb/26/belize-ambergris-caye-holiday-islands">Continue reading...</a>BelizeLuxury travelBeach holidaysSailing holidaysTravelSat, 26 Feb 2011 00:07:08 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/feb/26/belize-ambergris-caye-holiday-islandsKevin RushbyOne of thousands of tiny islets south of Ambergris Caye, Belize. Photographs: Kevin RushbyKevin RushbyOne of thousands of tiny islets south of Ambergris Caye, Belize. Photograph: Kevin RushbyKevin Rushby2011-02-26T00:07:08ZBelize, the Caribbean's undiscovered coast - audio slideshowhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/audioslideshow/2011/feb/24/belize-adventure-sailing-caribbean
<strong>Kevin Rushby</strong> takes a sailing trip through Belize's mangrove islands and reefs, stopping off for a bit of snorkelling along the way <br /><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2011/feb/24/1?INTCMP=SRCH">How to do it</a><br /><em>• Read about Kevin's trip in Saturday's Guardian Travel section</em> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/audioslideshow/2011/feb/24/belize-adventure-sailing-caribbean">Continue reading...</a>BelizeSailing holidaysTravelAdventure travelEnvironmentBoating holidaysCaribbeanThu, 24 Feb 2011 14:54:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/audioslideshow/2011/feb/24/belize-adventure-sailing-caribbeanKevin Rushby/GuardianBelize Barrier Reef Photograph: Kevin Rushby for the GuardianKevin Rushby2011-02-24T14:54:00ZGreat last-minute summer deals for familieshttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/jun/26/late-deals-family-holidays
Left it till the last minute again? Don't worry, we've got loads of great family holidays for you, from trekking in the Himalayas to slobbing by the pool in a Greek villa – some at reduced prices <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/jun/26/late-deals-family-holidays">Continue reading...</a>Family holidaysAdventure travelCampingCanoeing and kayakingTurkeyMoroccoBelizeNepalSloveniaItalyFranceAustriaGreeceSpainThailandCape VerdeTravelFri, 25 Jun 2010 23:05:26 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/jun/26/late-deals-family-holidaysPRMake a splash ... whitewater rafting in Slovenia's Julian AlpsGemma Bowes2010-06-25T23:05:26ZRory MacLean reviews Tequila Oil: Getting Lost in Mexicohttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/apr/10/tequila-oil-mexico-travel-book
After 30 years, Hugh Thomson returns to Mexico to complete an unfinished journey. His account is a 'celebratory and honest travel' read, says Rory MacLean<p>Our first journeys mark us. Whether a memorable family holiday to the Dordogne, a raucous school trip to Madrid or a first independent trek across south-east Asia, early experiences stay with us, often dictating travel preferences and passions for the rest of our life. The phenomena can't be put down simply to a hankering for familiarity. Few of us want to make sentimental journeys for the rest of our life. Rather we go back because our first, impressionable visit changed us, and so a return enables us to better understand ourselves through the changes in the destination. I am who I am in part <em>because</em> of this place.</p><p>At the age of 18, as a full-blooded punk (with a secret passion for Barry White), Hugh Thomson flew to Mexico. Intoxicated by anticipation, he falls for a story spun by a fellow passenger. Want to make money in Mexico? Buy a car over the border in Texas, drive it across the country and sell it in Belize for a handsome profit.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/apr/10/tequila-oil-mexico-travel-book">Continue reading...</a>MexicoBelizeRoad tripsTravelTravel writingThu, 09 Apr 2009 23:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/apr/10/tequila-oil-mexico-travel-bookPRTravelling sales man ... Hugh Thomson's electric blue Oldsmobile 98PRTequila Oil: Getting Lost in Mexico by Hugh Thomson Photograph: PRRory Maclean2009-04-09T23:01:00ZHugh Thomson travels Belize's tropical cayes on the world's tiniest cruiserhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/sep/20/belize.sailingholidays
Luxury liners are too big for Belize's tropical cayes. You need the world's tiniest cruiser, and its coolest captain. Hugh Thomson climbs aboard<p>The yellow boat was called Ragga Gal and was small and shallow-keeled, not much more than 30ft in length. </p><p>&quot;We're sailing later today, at 10. There's still a berth left. Three days to sail down south to Placencia.&quot; </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/sep/20/belize.sailingholidays">Continue reading...</a>BelizeSailing holidaysDivingTravelNorth and Central AmericaFri, 19 Sep 2008 23:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/sep/20/belize.sailingholidaysMacduff Everton/CorbisCaye players ... Belize's tropical waters. Photograph: Macduff Everton/CorbisMacduff Everton/CorbisBelize. Photograph: Macduff Everton/CorbisHugh Thomson2008-09-19T23:01:00ZMagical mystical tourhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/aug/16/guatemala.belize
Charles Nevin was worried about taking his adopted children back to Central America. But they loved Guatemala's vibrancy - and the locals loved them<p>Lightning forked again and again through the tropic night, flicking the perfect pair of volcanoes across the other side of the great dark lake on and off, in a scene that any special effects designer would have dismissed as impossibly de trop. A wry and seasoned traveller would have been unimpressed too, but, sadly and happily, that's not my case, or bag.</p><p>I should like to report, too, that our arrival on the shores of Lake Atitl&aacute;n to witness this splendid sight came after much hard trekking and bug-slapping; and that I now stood like some grizzled Bogart as the teeming rain ran down my face, bouncing over the caked rivulets of dried sweat. As it happened, I was lying propped up in bed watching through a large picture window after an excellent meal at a rather good hotel, the Villa Santa Catarina. But there I go: middle age and weak habits demand some compromises.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/aug/16/guatemala.belize">Continue reading...</a>GuatemalaBelizeAdventure travelCultural tripsTravelGuatemalaAmericasFri, 15 Aug 2008 23:01:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/aug/16/guatemala.belizePeter Adams/GettyMayan survival ... the cobbled streets of Antigua. Photograph: Peter Adams/GettyPeter Adams/GettyGuatemala. Photograph: Peter Adams/GettyCharles Nevin2008-08-15T23:01:00Z100 foodie breaks: Vegetarianhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/feb/16/top100foodbreaks.vegetarian
From shitake mushrooms in Scotland to chocolate in Belize, our guide to the world's best vegetarian food<p>The Isle of Skye is probably not the first place you'd think of to satisfy your shitake mushroom needs. However, the Lusta Fungi farm in Waternish has a well-earned reputation for its fine organic shitakes. Buy them at the farm or sample them down the road at The Bosville, the island's only boutique hotel. Award-winning chef John Kelly's shitake mushroom and truffle oil soup is about as close to the elixir of life as anyone's likely to get and is worth the journey to Skye alone.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/feb/16/top100foodbreaks.vegetarian">Continue reading...</a>Top 100 foodie breaksFood and drinkFranceScotlandGreeceBelizeThailandIrelandIndiaTurkeyUnited StatesTravelVegetarianismSat, 16 Feb 2008 13:40:46 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/feb/16/top100foodbreaks.vegetarianFresh veg ... create gourmet veggie dishes at Tomlins Cookery SchoolGuardian Staff2008-02-16T13:40:46Z15 Caribbean gemshttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/feb/03/caribbean.stlucia
If bling's your thing, there's no shortage of glitzy hotels in the Caribbean. But for a more intimate experience, check into one of these boltholes where the welcome is personal and there's not an all-day buffet in sight<p>Opened in 2005 and set in 55 acres of rainforest, Jungle Bay (<a href="http://www.junglebaydominica.com">junglebaydominica.com</a>) was built on strong eco-principles - from preserving trees and wildlife to using local labour and materials - but it doesn't stint on visual impact. The 35 large stilted, luxurious rooms are all built from wood and have outdoor solar-powered showers to go with the spruced-up Swiss Family Robinson feel. Dominica isn't about great beaches (what sand there is is black and volcanic) but the hiking and other healthy activities on offer, including kayaking, mountain-biking and whalewatching, more than make up for it.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/feb/03/caribbean.stlucia">Continue reading...</a>CaribbeanSt LuciaBahamasAntigua and BarbudaAnguillaGrenadaCubaBelizeBarbadosJamaicaBeach holidaysTravelSun, 03 Feb 2008 11:08:54 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/feb/03/caribbean.stluciaLow-key Caribbean ... Cocobay, AntiguaSarah Turner2008-02-03T11:08:54ZGreen travel schemes demystifiedhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2007/mar/28/green.schemes.hotels
As green travel has become big business it has sparked a rise in faux ecotourism, or 'greenwashing'. Richard Hammond on the responsible travel schemes to trust<p>“You have to see it to Belize it” was scrawled across the T-shirts I saw hung on a roadside stall in Belize City a decade ago. Belize’s barrier reef – the second largest in the world - had just been enlisted as a world heritage site and the country was gearing up for a surge in tourism. Ten years on, Belize now vies with Costa Rica as the ecotourism capital of central America. </p><p>Its success reflects a growing trend for travel that puts something back into the environment and local communities. Britain’s buoyant green pound is sustaining a green travel market worth &pound;409m and it is set to grow by 25% a year, according to a recent report by market research analyst Mintel.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2007/mar/28/green.schemes.hotels">Continue reading...</a>TravelGreen travelHotelsBelizeUnited KingdomEuropeSouth AmericaAfricaAustraliaFranceEstoniaSwedenGreenlandEnvironmentTravel and transportTransportUK newsWed, 28 Mar 2007 15:16:29 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2007/mar/28/green.schemes.hotelsAwash with green ... is your holiday as green as it seems? Photograph: Getty/Will and Deni McIntyreRichard Hammond2007-03-28T15:16:29ZBelize: Essential informationhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2006/oct/25/belize.essentialinfo
This former British colony has beautiful beaches and rainforests, which make up most of the country. An influx of wealthy North Americans is pushing up prices but it can still be a relatively low-budget destination<p>It seems strange to find somewhere with such a strong British influence in Central America. Once at the heart of the Mayan empire, Belize became British Honduras in the 17th century and only gained independence from Britain in 1981, with the Queen now represented by a governor.</p><p>Situated at the base of the Yucatan peninsula, Belize is one of the smallest countries in the region with a population of only 250,000, most of whom live in the former capital, Belize City, rather than the present capital, Belmopan. People visit Belize, however, not for the cities but for its beautiful beaches, for the rainforests which make up 65% of the country, and to see its coral reef, which is second only to that of Australia. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2006/oct/25/belize.essentialinfo">Continue reading...</a>BelizeWed, 25 Oct 2006 13:13:22 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2006/oct/25/belize.essentialinfoGuardian Staff2006-10-25T13:13:22ZWales or Belize? Tough callhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2006/mar/11/familyholidays.family.belize
Having a toddler doesn't mean you can't live out your Robinson Crusoe fantasies on a tiny island in the Caribbean<p>What were we thinking, taking our 22-month-old to live for a month on a tiny island over 5,000 miles away? &quot;Wouldn't a few weeks in Wales be easier?&quot; suggested a friend.</p><p>Maybe. But we wanted to trade the winter chill of Britain for sun, sea and sandcastles. We scoured the web looking for a Caribbean island, but not one covered in resorts, in a child-friendly location. And so we found Caye Caulker - a four-by-one-mile balmy sliver of sand off mainland Belize, itself only a tad bigger than Wales. In the 60s and 70s, the sleepy fishing village was a magnet for travellers on the hippy trail. More recently, traditional businesses such as shipbuilding have given way to tourism - but the island is nowhere near as developed as its busier neighbour (and setting of American TV reality show Temptation Island), Ambergris Caye.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2006/mar/11/familyholidays.family.belize">Continue reading...</a>Family holidaysTravelBelizeSat, 11 Mar 2006 19:06:14 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2006/mar/11/familyholidays.family.belizeLiza Ramrayka2006-03-11T19:06:14ZThe best coral reefhttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2006/feb/05/theobserverstop25travelexperiences.belize.watersportsholidays
Belize<p>Fish, coral or both? Jacques Cousteau reckoned that the soft coral capital of the world was Fiji, but for a more balanced fish'n'coral combo, Belize has more kudos than the Great Barrier Reef. The bull sharks of the Blue Hole will appeal to macho types, but connoisseurs head to the Turneffe Atoll. More than 30 miles long and 10 miles wide, with a visibility of up to 150ft, this collection of islands offers a mouthwatering smorgasbord of diving treats, including dolphins, mantra rays, turtles and shoal-friendly shipwrecks.</p><p><strong>&middot; </strong>Dive Worldwide (0845 130 6980; <a href="http://www.diveworldwide.com">www.diveworldwide.com</a>)</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2006/feb/05/theobserverstop25travelexperiences.belize.watersportsholidays">Continue reading...</a>The Observer's top 25 travel experiencesTravelBelizeWater sports holidaysSun, 05 Feb 2006 18:18:13 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2006/feb/05/theobserverstop25travelexperiences.belize.watersportsholidaysSarah Turner2006-02-05T18:18:13ZThe chilling zonehttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2005/aug/18/belize
Jo Adetunji leaves traffic and troubles behind on the mainland and finds a Belizean caye where the living is easy<p>The thing that tells you most about the Caye Caulker way of life is the taxi rank; a small collection of golf carts that you can hire to take you anywhere in the town. There are no cars on the island, just golf carts zipping in and around the sandy beachfront, like a theme park for grown-ups.</p><p>We reached Caye Caulker, a small island off the coast of Belize, by water-taxi, and were instantly struck by the view from the end of the pier, the pastels of beachfront cabanas and the bow of coconut palms. Life is a perfect mix of unstrenuous activity and relaxation. It feels like the Caribbean - the nonchalant attitude, the love of music, the rice and beans - but is nearer central America; the locals are mainly Mestizo, Creole and Maya.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2005/aug/18/belize">Continue reading...</a>BelizeTravelThu, 18 Aug 2005 17:22:16 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2005/aug/18/belizeJo Adetunji2005-08-18T17:22:16ZThis is where I long to be...http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2004/may/30/belize.observerescapesection
... la isla bonita. Madonna sang about it and Polly Rodger Brown knew why when she found this laid-back island hideaway<p>Reaching the Salamander hideaway resort in Belize from England takes the best part of 20 hours. A long flight to Belize City via Miami or Houston is followed by a short hop to the island of Ambergris Caye, the isla bonita sung about by Madonna, and the largest of Belize's 200 Caribbean cayes (coral-fringed islands). With no roads to speak of on the 20-mile long island, the final part of the journey is a boat ride to its remote northern end. No wonder it's called a hideaway. </p><p>The boat ride, in Salamander's own speedboat, seems designed to crank up the holiday mood. As we sped through jade green sea, leaving behind the ugly condominiums and shabby-looking resorts of San Pedro, the only town on Ambergris Caye, the jungle along the shore grew more and more dense until we reached a clearing of raked white sand and palm trees artfully arranged in groups. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2004/may/30/belize.observerescapesection">Continue reading...</a>BelizeTravelSun, 30 May 2004 17:01:52 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2004/may/30/belize.observerescapesectionPolly Rodger Brown2004-05-30T17:01:52ZCaye strokeshttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2004/jan/10/belize.wildlifeholidays.guardiansaturdaytravelsection
Thomas Keegan dons his snorkelling gear to keep a lunch appointment with whale sharks.<p>Our honeymoon, my fianc&eacute;e suggested, should involve swimming with beautiful fish. Swimming with a dolphin would be good, too, she added, possibly unaware that the experience came out top in last year's BBC poll of 50 things to do before you die and that dolphins might now draw a crowd. </p><p>A process of elimination led us to Belize, home to the northern hemisphere's longest barrier reef. Stretching for over 100 miles, the reef and the surrounding Caribbean waters are home to some of the world's most beautiful fish. Snorkelling with sergeant fish, squirrel fish, parrot fish and stingrays satisfied the highest expectations. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2004/jan/10/belize.wildlifeholidays.guardiansaturdaytravelsection">Continue reading...</a>BelizeTravelWildlife holidaysSat, 10 Jan 2004 19:05:04 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2004/jan/10/belize.wildlifeholidays.guardiansaturdaytravelsectionThomas Keegan2004-01-10T19:05:04ZWalking in the jungle what do you see?http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2002/oct/06/guatemala.belize.familyholidays
Esther Selsdon cancelled Christmas and took her two small children to Guatemala and Belize, where rainforests, volcanoes and crocodiles are all in a day's play<p>Last year we decided not to do Christmas. An interest in the ancient Mayan capital, Tikal, and a desire to show our small children some rainforest before there's none left, made Guatemala seem more attractive and so, bribing Fergus (four-and-a-half) and Edie (three) with rash promises of snorkelling and jungle adventure, we set off to discover lost worlds with one bag each and no seasonal gifts. </p><p>There are no direct flights from Europe and so, after days of flying and vomiting and connecting and vomiting, we eventually landed in Belize City, the nearest international airport to Tikal. This small, coastal town is the capital of Belize, a tiny ex-British colony whose proudest possession is the longest barrier reef in the Western hemisphere. </p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2002/oct/06/guatemala.belize.familyholidays">Continue reading...</a>GuatemalaBelizeTravelFamily holidaysEducationWonders of the worldMayan temples of Tikal, GuatemalaGuatemalaAmericasSun, 06 Oct 2002 17:07:50 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/travel/2002/oct/06/guatemala.belize.familyholidaysEsther Selsdon2002-10-06T17:07:50Z